Apprenticeships in study-work experience programme: Enel received the EAFA Award

Published on jueves, 21 junio 2018

Companies and institutions meet in Rome on European best practices to narrow the gap between the world of education and entry into the labour market

Rome, June 21st, 2018 - The “Enel model” of apprenticeship in a study-work experience remains a European leader. The energy company hosted the international conference “Apprenticeships: from school to work - the Italian case” in Rome today. Organised by the European Alliance for Apprenticeship (EAFA), the network of all stakeholders committed to enhancing dual-track training, in collaboration with the European Commission, the conference assessed best practices to narrow the gap between the world of educational and the labour market.

EAFA itself has recognised Enel's programme as ‘Best European Experience of Quality Apprenticeship’, with the EAFA Award 2017 for large companies.

Launched in 2014, Enel's Work-Study Experience Apprenticeship programme has involved about 300 students in apprenticeships with the company. After their “training on the job”, they will be ready to become electrical grid technicians. The programme enables them to accelerate the acquisition of the technical knowledge and multi-disciplinary skills that are essential for working in the company and speed up the process of professionalisation while creating a virtuous circle between the world of education and the world of work.

Sixteen schools throughout Italy have been involved so far, with the programme to evolve further in the coming months: Enel has announced its participation in an experimental “Digital Apprenticeship” programme, in collaboration with the Politecnico di Torino, scheduled to begin in the 2018-2019 academic year, and participation in the ErasmusPlus 2018 Programme, with the selection of 10 Enel apprentices involved in the Uniser network, an agency specialised in educational mobility.

Today's conference saw the participation of Italian and European institutional representatives and the comparison of the experiences of companies such as Eni, Dallara, Allianz, Siemens, BMW, and Nestlé Italia in order to analyse Italian best practices and those of other European countries, with a focus on the role of the apprentice, involving organisations such as LDDK, OAED, EVN Macedonia and Tibacex.

The EAFA platform, which involves 236 entities, including Enel since 2016, was launched in 2013 thanks to the joint declaration between the European social partners (ETUC, BusinessEurope, UEAPME and CEEP), the European Commission and the Presidency of the EU Council, with the aim to enhance the usefulness and importance of apprenticeships, strengthening their quality, image and mobility. Among other things, the initiative promotes and supports youth employment, reducing the gap between supply and demand in the specific skills requested by the labour market.